One Hundred Steps Away
by Masako Moonshade
Summary: Posted as a 1sentence project Zeta got Ro hurt one too many times, and he flees in hopes of protecting her. But she's not about to let him walk away from her just like that. T for slight blood.
1. In Order of Numbers

Disclaimer: Yeah, guys. Very funny. No. Still nothing.

AN: I got the list of prompts from the 1sentence community on Livejournal. This is set Gamma, for Zeta and Ro in an adequately ambiguous relationship. I'm posting this twice, for clarity: this one is in numerical order, while the next one is in chronological order. Personally, I like reading them mixed up (this one) and trying to piece together what's going on. The other is for people who would rather avoid a headache-- it's much easier to understand, I hope.

Oh, and it's**_ rated T_**, because of blood and _very _mild language.

Anyway, I hope that's cleared things up sufficiently. Enjoy!

* * *

#01 – Ring

It's the Bucky on the other end of the phone: "Ro, maybe it's time to move on."

#02 – Hero

"He saved me, and I'm hoping to return the favor."

#03 – Memory

She remembers a story about a princess in iron shoes who searched the world for a friend; she decides that boots are better for the job.

#04 – Box

On a whim he climbs in a box and mails himself to some place with far too many people in it; by the time he stops moving he is back in the US.

#05 – Run

When their eyes meet he tries to flee, but she's good at running.

#06 – Hurricane

A whirlwind of steel and fire tears through the lab, thunder shatters the air—and then, a shower of blood.

#07 – Wings

She learns quickly that stories of a robot won't help her—instead she asks about a hidden angel.

#08 – Cold

"Go home, Ro," he says with all the icy cruelty he can muster—not much—and she nearly shouts: "Would you at _least_ tell me what I did wrong first?!"

#09 – Red

He recognizes the color from his previous life—knows that it can only mean death.

#10 – Drink

It's late, and she needs coffee, and naturally the coffee maker in her hotel room is broken, so she trudges into lobby with a sigh; someone else is here.

#11 – Midnight

It's past midnight, and the lobby is empty except for one man who looks too alert and too tired at the same time.

#12 – Temptation

_You could lay down here and die_, whispers a voice in his circuits that he can't explain, _or you could crawl back to her and apologize, or—_he fervently tells it to shut the hell up.

#13 – View

He tries to avoid her eyes, he tries not to look chagrined or guilty, but she is already staring him down like a sniper.

#14 – Music

She quickly lost her patience with the radio—there was nothing on but angry once-love songs, and breaking up, and how some stupid trashy girl drove away the only guy who made life worth living.

#15 – Silk

She doesn't waste money on fancy hotels and stylish clothes; the money Zee left her ran out months ago, and she's just barely getting by.

#16 – Cover

Casey sends her every credit he can spare, and he searches the news in every free moment; he knows better than to ask her to come home.

#17 – Promise

"I won't hurt you ever again—I'll stay away, and you can get on with your life."

#18 – Dream

Sometimes she falls asleep and sees him again, and they're happy and they're free and everything is the way it's supposed to be; the tears pouring down her face always wake her up.

#19 – Candle

Candles flicker and sputter and fade in the wind, and the slightest touch can put them out—humans are very much the same.

#20 – Talent

Months of searching for Dr. Selig have made her good at looking for people who don't exist.

#21 – Silence

He stutters and stumbles in a most un-robot-like manner until at last he falls into an awkward silence.

#22 – Journey

He asked her once where she was going when she ran away; now he understands.

#23 – Fire

A stray bolt of something leaps out of the crossfire and tears through her abdomen, throwing her back into the flaming warzone.

#24 – Strength

He thought he was strong enough to protect her; he was wrong.

#25 – Mask

Sometimes she scans his picture and searches the Net for his face, though she already knows that he's wearing a different one.

#26 – Ice

She doesn't feel pain at first; just cold.

#27 – Fall

The disk hits home and she is flung through the air, but for the a few moments she watches in childlike delight as the world flies past her.

#28 – Forgotten

The face she remembers—she has a photo of it tucked away in her bag—but his voice is already lost to her.

#29 – Dance

He dives into battle, losing himself in a dance of destruction with the other synthoid.

#30 – Body

He looks in horror at the crumpled body at his feet, and prays it's some malfunction that tells him it's Ro.

#31 – Sacred

He doesn't hold on to her longer than absolutely necessary—sacred things should not be touched, and he is unholy.

#32 – Farewells

He walks away in the dead of night, steals a car and drives until it dies by the side of the road; the entire time he fights the compulsion to turn around and go back.

#33 – World

He does not stay in the Americas for long; instead he travels from country to country and avoids places that are populated by blondes.

#34 – Formal

"Hello, Zee," she says as though they are meeting for the first time, "it's good to see you."

#35 – Fever

He can feel himself shut down—every ounce of logic, every iota of sense, and he sinks to his knees in confusion and despair.

#36 - Laugh

"I'm sorry, Ro," he mumbles at last, and is surprised when she laughs and buries him in a teary hug.

#37 – Lies

For months she tells herself she doesn't miss him, that he's a jerk for what he did, that she never wants to see him again, but her tears don't believe her.

#38 – Forever

"Now listen, you big dumb metalhead—" she knows that she sounds like a toddler, but right then she doesn't care "—I'm going to be glued to your can forever, so you'd better not try to ditch me again!"

#39 – Overwhelmed

The guilt of it washes through him, and he nearly drowns in it—the murder of strangers is nothing compared to this.

#40 – Whisper

"Zee?"

#41 – Wait

He turns to run away, but she grabs his arm—titanium manacles could not have held him so tightly.

#42 – Talk

Most of her leads are word-of-mouth and from a friend-of-a-friend, but she likes talking to these people, and they seem to like her, too.

#43 – Search

It's been two years; you'd think she'd come up with a different hobby by now.

#44 – Hope

Bucky wants to tell her the most likely truth: that he's been captured, reprogrammed, destroyed, but he can't bring himself to steal the hope from her eyes.

#45 – Eclipse

He didn't realize how bright the world could be; there was nothing wrong with his optical sensors, but it felt so dark for so long.

#46 – Gravity

Sometimes she doesn't know where she's going; sometimes she just wanders blindly forward and hopes for the best.

#47 – Highway

"So, Tinman, where to now?"

#48 – Unknown

She can't stand not knowing—why he left, what she did to make him go, where he is, if he's safe, if he's even Zee anymore, if he misses her, if he's figured out what fun is yet.

#49 – Lock

The warehouse is locked, but that won't stop a woman and her blowtorch.

#50—Breath

His horror is interrupted by a sudden euphoria as he realizes she is still breathing.


	2. In Order of Time

Disclaimer: Yeah, guys. Very funny. No. Still nothing.

AN: I got the list of prompts from the 1sentence community on Livejournal. This is set Gamma, for Zeta and Ro in an adequately ambiguous relationship. I'm posting this twice, for clarity:_ the first one_ is in numerical order, while _this one_ is in chronological order. Personally, I like reading them mixed up (last one) and trying to piece together what's going on. This is for people who would rather avoid a headache-- it's much easier to understand, I hope.

Oh, and it's**_ rated T_**, because of blood and _very _mild language.

Anyway, I hope that's cleared things up sufficiently. Enjoy!

* * *

#29 – Dance

He dives into battle, losing himself in a dance of destruction with the other synthoid.

#23 – Fire

A stray bolt of something leaps out of the crossfire and tears through her abdomen, throwing her back into the flaming warzone.

#27 – Fall

The disk hits home and she is flung through the air, but for the a few moments she watches in childlike delight as the world flies past her.

#26 – Ice

She doesn't feel pain at first; just cold.

#06 – Hurricane

A whirlwind of steel and fire tears through the lab, thunder shatters the air—and then, a shower of blood.

#09 – Red

He recognizes the color from his previous life—knows that it can only mean death.

#30 – Body

He looks in horror at the crumpled body at his feet, and prays it's some malfunction that tells him it's Ro.

#50—Breath

His horror is interrupted by a sudden euphoria as he realizes she is still breathing.

#39 – Overwhelmed

The guilt of it washes through him, and he nearly drowns in it—the murder of strangers is nothing compared to this.

#35 – Fever

He can feel himself shut down—every ounce of logic, every iota of sense, and he sinks to his knees in confusion and despair.

#31 – Sacred

He doesn't hold on to her longer than absolutely necessary—sacred things should not be touched, and he is unholy.

#17 – Promise

"I won't hurt you ever again—I'll stay away, and you can get on with your life."

#32 – Farewells

He walks away in the dead of night, steals a car and drives until it dies by the side of the road; the entire time he fights the compulsion to turn around and go back.

#24 – Strength

He thought he was strong enough to protect her; he was wrong.

#37 – Lies

For months she tells herself she doesn't miss him, that he's a jerk for what he did, that she never wants to see him again, but her tears don't believe her.

#48 – Unknown

She can't stand not knowing—why he left, what she did to make him go, where he is, if he's safe, if he's even Zee anymore, if he misses her, if he's figured out what fun is yet.

#14 – Music

She quickly lost her patience with the radio—there was nothing on but angry once-love songs, and breaking up, and how some stupid trashy girl drove away the only guy who made life worth living.

#33 – World

He does not stay in the Americas for long; instead he travels from country to country and avoids places that are populated by blondes.

#22 – Journey

He asked her once where she was going when she ran away; now he understands.

#19 – Candle

Candles flicker and sputter and fade in the wind, and the slightest touch can put them out—humans are very much the same.

#20 – Talent

Months of searching for Dr. Selig have made her good at looking for people who don't exist.

#03 – Memory

She remembers a story about a princess in iron shoes who searched the world for a friend; she decides that boots are better for the job.

#42 – Talk

Most of her leads are word-of-mouth and from a friend-of-a-friend, but she likes talking to these people, and they seem to like her, too.

#07 – Wings

She learns quickly that stories of a robot won't help her—instead she asks about a hidden angel.

#02 – Hero

"He saved me, and I'm hoping to return the favor."

#46 – Gravity

Sometimes she doesn't know where she's going; sometimes she just wanders blindly forward and hopes for the best.

#01 – Ring

It's the Bucky on the other end of the phone: "Ro, maybe it's time to move on."

#44 – Hope

Bucky wants to tell her the most likely truth: that he's been captured, reprogrammed, destroyed, but he can't bring himself to steal the hope from her eyes.

#15 – Silk

She doesn't waste money on fancy hotels and stylish clothes; the money Zee left her ran out months ago, and she's just barely getting by.

#16 – Cover

Casey sends her every credit he can spare, and he searches the news in every free moment; he knows better than to ask her to come home.

#25 – Mask

Sometimes she scans his picture and searches the Net for his face, though she already knows that he's wearing a different one.

#49 – Lock

The warehouse is locked, but that won't stop a woman and her blowtorch.

#18 – Dream

Sometimes she falls asleep and sees him again, and they're happy and they're free and everything is the way it's supposed to be; the tears pouring down her face always wake her up.

#28 – Forgotten

The face she remembers—she has a photo of it tucked away in her bag—but his voice is already lost to her.

#04 – Box

On a whim he climbs in a box and mails himself to some place with far too many people in it; by the time he stops moving he is back in the US.

#43 – Search

It's been two years; you'd think she'd come up with a different hobby by now.

#10 – Drink

It's late, and she needs coffee, and naturally the coffee maker in her hotel room is broken, so she trudges into lobby with a sigh; someone else is here.

#12 – Temptation

_You could lay down here and die_, whispers a voice in his circuits that he can't explain, _or you could crawl back to her and apologize, or—_he fervently tells it to shut the hell up.

#11 – Midnight

It's past midnight, and the lobby is empty except for one man who looks too alert and too tired at the same time.

#34 – Formal

"Hello, Zee," she says as though they are meeting for the first time, "it's good to see you."

#05 – Run

When their eyes meet he tries to flee, but she's good at running.

#41 – Wait

He turns to run away, but she grabs his arm—titanium manacles could not have held him so tightly.

#40 – Whisper

"Zee?"

#13 – View

He tries to avoid her eyes, he tries not to look chagrined or guilty, but she is already staring him down like a sniper.

#08 – Cold

"Go home, Ro," he says with all the icy cruelty he can muster—not much—and she nearly shouts: "Would you at _least_ tell me what I did wrong first?!"

#21 – Silence

He stutters and stumbles in a most un-robot-like manner until at last he falls into an awkward silence.

#38 – Forever

"Now listen, you big dumb metalhead—" she knows that she sounds like a toddler, but right then she doesn't care "—I'm going to be glued to your can forever, so you'd better not try to ditch me again!"

#36 - Laugh

"I'm sorry, Ro," he mumbles at last, and is surprised when she laughs and buries him in a teary hug.

#45 – Eclipse

He didn't realize how bright the world could be; there was nothing wrong with his optical sensors, but it felt so dark for so long.

#47 – Highway

"So, Tinman, where to now?"


End file.
